Somehow, a forum on economics by the Forum on Missouri Economic Prosperity turned to the subject of hate crimes when Missouri State Rep, Paul Curtman, a Tea Party Republican, told the group that hate crimes were no different from any other crime. He also feels that President Obama is a “totalitarian” who wants Congress to require gun permits.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” Curtman said, quoting the Declaration of Independence. “Let’s start right there: All men are created equal. The first thing you need is equality under the law to apply to the economic sector of society just as it would to any thing else.”

“You know, we don’t want to have hate crimes, because then you’re supposing that a crime is much worse if it is committed against a white person or a black person as opposed to an Asian or Hispanic person,” he continued. “There is not really such a thing as a hate crime. Crime is crime. Equality under the law.”